When camping in bad weather I'm always asking myself if it is a good idea to cook in my tent with a gas cooker. Obviously there is the danger of fire. But how dangerous is this really? Can you easily burn down the tent? And are there any other dangers? Maybe carbon monoxide poising?

Should you cook in your tent? I guess it's a possibility on a day in the desert, but it may result in sunstroke.:)
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J. MusserApr 9 '12 at 2:01

Depends on where you are, what kind of tent you have, what kind of camping you're doing. I go car camping a lot with our 4 man tent and always cook inside it, it has 3 doors, usually one is always open providing ventilation. If I was back packing and wild camping I'd follow the advice below.
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AravonaJul 7 '14 at 14:10

In 99% of situations I agree with this answer. The only cases where I feel this rule can be broken is in a mountaineering situation where you cannot safely cook outside your tent, because there is not a surface to rest the stove. This should only be attempted by expert adventurers, not casual mountaineers. The way I have seen it done safely is by hanging the stove via a cable system from the tent roof. See link (summitpost.org/hang-your-stove/483666) Keep in mind, it's dangerous.
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DangerangerJan 25 '12 at 21:58

1

Do NOT try this at home, consult experts and read up BEFORE ATTEMPTING! VENT VENT VENT
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mjriderJan 28 '12 at 17:35

Agreed, most of the time it's really not a good idea. However if you're on a limited fuel budget (say a multi day hike) cooking in the porch of your tent will keep a lot of wind off the stove, and mean it uses a lot less fuel (even if you stove has some other kind of wind shield) If you're going to do it, keep a very close eye on the stove, don't light it and fall asleep!
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Simon HodgsonJan 28 '12 at 20:55

The answers regarding flammability (and the ensuing death trap) and carbon monoxide poisoning are correct. Even in foul weather, cook outside your tent. If you do lots of camping in bad weather (New Zealand's West Coast?) get a tent with a vestibule.

There is one additional problem: In bear country, you never want to cook too close to your tent, because if you and your tent and everything inside it smells of food, guess who'll be coming to visit you at night?

If you are in bear country, I agree 100% with everyone - cook somewhere else. 100m away minimum.

In winter, not in bear country, getting out of your tent to cook sucks. Fortunately, many mountaineers have discovered that some stoves do not produce excessive carbon monoxide. And there's a handy table in this article at Backpacking Light that describes some canister stoves that produce a reasonably low amount of carbon monoxide. Read the whole article series for the details.

Edit: That being said, cook in your vestibule (with the vestibule open if possible), it's much, much safer.

But really, is carbon monoxide ever a good thing? Every bit taken in binds and reduces oxygen capacity. When outdoors exerting myself, I can't imagine why I'd want to risk that unless the only alternative was freezing to death (ie, it's just that cold).
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Russell Steen♦Jan 29 '12 at 22:36

I guess my point is that if you have the right stove and the conditions suck, it's by no means the end of the world.
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RyleyJan 29 '12 at 23:27

It really depends on the type of tent. You should not cook in a standard outdoor tent. However there are tents like the "Kohte" and the "Yurt" of (mainly German) scouts that are designed to have a fire burning inside.
These tents are made of cotton and have no floor. Also they are heavier than typical expedition tents. As always you have to weigh the pros and cons yourself.

Most tents these days claim to have a "fireproof" coating - but I'd never really want to put this to the test! I have heard one horror story in particular (admittedly with a much older tent) that's made me wary enough to recommend never cooking inside.

The likelihood may be low (and that's not to say it is) but if it does go up in flames and you're inside it then you've lost all escape routes and you're surrounded by smoke and burning material - IMHO it's just not a risk worth taking. And yes, other dangers like carbon monoxide poisoning are definitely possible, even likely if it's in an enclosed space.